Capitol Hill Cohousing - dmped · Cohousing & The Village Movement Cohousing can accomplish many of the objectives of the Village movement related to aging in place. Centralized nature

Century Associates / Eco Housing Corporation / Keystar Real Estate

Capitol Hill Cohousing at the Eastern Branch Boys & Girls Club

A proposal for contextually sensitive, community supporting, adaptive reuse

The Project TeamCentury AssociatesCentury Associates acquires, develops and operates single family, multifamily mixed use and neighborhood commercial properties. In addition to developing property for its own account, Century Associates provides expertise to other developers in areas of development and construction project management, financial and technical feasibility, value engineering, claims analysis, architectural design and building performance. Unique among development firms, Century Associates maintains in house architectural capabilities that provide essential perspective throughout the development process.

Century Associates is owned by Joel Kelty, a Capitol Hill Resident since 2000.

Eco Housing Corporation Eco Housing Corporation (www.ecohousing.net) is a Maryland corporation formed in 1999 and has been responsible for the development of two award winning Cohousing projects: Takoma Village, located in Takoma ,DC and Eastern Village, located in Silver Spring, MD. In addition, Eco has recently provided development services for Metro Village, a 150 unit mixed income apartment community in Takoma, DC.

The principal owners of EcoHousing are Donald Tucker, President and Michael Tucker, Executive VP.

KeyStar Real EstateKeystar is a real estate investment and development company formed in 2004 to invest in and develop real in the Washington metropolitan area. Keystar and its affiliates holdings include:

❖ Metro Village Apartments: a 150 unit mixed income community located in Takoma Park, DC that includes 123 (80%) income-restricted units. The project was completed in June 2016.

❖ Ravenwood Apartments: 23 units located in Riverdale, Maryland

❖ Peabody Street Apartments: 30 units located in the Brightwood neighborhood of Washington, DC

❖ 7001 Carroll Avenue: 22,000 square foot historic mixed use building located in Takoma Park, Maryland

Keystar is owned by Bruce Levin.

Who we are

The Project TeamEDG ArchitectsEDG Architects has been responsible for the design and production of more than 150 projects ranging from single family residences to large commercial and multi-family buildings. EDG’s experience also includes more than 50 residential rehabilitation projects ranging from cosmetic repairs to historic restoration and adaptive reuse with replacement of all major building systems.

EDG prides itself on its ability to deliver high quality, “green” and affordable buildings within challenging time and budget constraints.

Capitol Hill VillageCapitol Hill Village (CHV) is a neighborhood nonprofit organization of 400+ members that supports and enriches the lives of Capitol Hill residents as they grow older.  The organization coordinates volunteer, vendor and staff services and provides social, cultural and educational programs designed to enhance the ability of Capitol Hill area residents to remain in their homes and their community over time.  The Village provides a range of services and programs such as transportation to medical appointments and events, help with errands and small home maintenance issues, snow shoveling and leaf raking, as well as programs designed enhance social engagement.  For members with more complex issues, CHV's social services team provides care coordination and navigation support to members and their families or care partners, including assistance with medical, insurance, social service, housing, legal and other issues.  Membership is open to residents of Capitol Hill of all ages and subsidies and emergency assistance is available to qualifying lower income members.

Who we are

Senior Cohousing & Community SpaceThe Eastern Branch building will be converted to an innovative, mixed-use multi-family facility with two primary neighborhood-serving functions:

❖ Senior cohousing residences

❖ Community activity space

The project envisions primarily interior renovation work and will not add floors to the structure or otherwise substantially modify the exterior massing and character of the building.

Project Concept

Senior Cohousing❖ 29 age-restricted independent living

residences❖ 2 caregiver apartments

❖ A range of unit sizes, including larger units marketed toward seniors living in Capitol Hill row houses

❖ Senior oriented services and programing on site

❖ Fully accessible (universal) design

❖ Walkable - proximity to urban amenities and transportation

Project Concept

“The old-fashioned community of the future”

A type of housing community that features both private dwellings and shared common facilities.

Design fosters social interaction among residents.

What is cohousing?Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington, DC

What is cohousing?

Cohousing is intentional community❖ Individual dwelling units

❖ A “common house” & other shared facilities

❖ Physical configuration designed to reinforce & encourage resident interaction

❖ Residents participation in development & management

❖ Consensus-based decision making

Eastern Village, Silver Spring, MD

What is cohousing?

Is this a new idea?

❖ Originated in Scandinavia in the 1970s

❖ More than 100 operating communities today

❖ At least 100 more in planning stages

❖ Urban, suburban and rural contexts

❖ Intergenerational & Senior-centric

6 Defining Characteristics❖ Participatory design process❖ Site & building design fosters

social interaction❖ Shared common facilities &

grounds❖ Resident management &

operation❖ Intergenerational & Inclusive❖ Environmentally sensitive &

sustainable design

What is cohousing?

What does cohousing look like?

❖ Amenities❖ Site Design❖ Common House❖ Individual Units

feetmeters

300100

Site Design❖ Organized around a common

pedestrian street, courtyard or area within a building

❖ Parking aggregated & located at perimeter

❖ Centrally located common house

❖ Well defined public & private realms…

❖ But with transitional spaces that encourage interaction

What does cohousing look like?

Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington, DC

What does cohousing look like?

The Common House

What does cohousing look like?

Typical Common House Features❖ Cooking & dining❖ Lounge, television❖ Grouped mailboxes❖ Shop, bike storage❖ Guest suites❖ Music room❖ Game, play room

Individual Units - designed for both privacy and engagement

❖ Units face onto & are accessed from a common (typically exterior) space

❖ Patios, porches & stoops create a transitional zone between public & private

❖ Kitchen windows oriented towards common green space

What does cohousing look like?

What does cohousing look like?

Unit Design❖ Self Contained

❖ Variety of unit sizes encourages resident diversity

❖ Flexibility to adapt units as households change improves community stability

Senior Cohousing

❖ Downsizing - typically smaller units 800-900 SF, but not necessarily

❖ Emphasis on Universal Design

❖ Guest apartments for family visits

❖ Some have apartments for live-in caregivers

❖ Defined policies & practices related to aging (“co-care” policies)

Cohousing & The Village Movement❖ Cohousing can accomplish many of the

objectives of the Village movement related to aging in place.

❖ Centralized nature of cohousing can result in more efficient service delivery.

❖ Self management means residents have a say in how things are done.

❖ Cohousing may be less expensive due to volunteer management.

❖ Neither cohousing nor villages adequately address important issues regarding transition to long term and end of life care.

Cohousing in DC

Eco Housing Corporation, has developed the first two cohousing communities in Washington:❖ Takoma Village Cohousing❖ Eastern Village Cohousing

Joel Kelty wrote a thesis on cohousing and was involved with Takoma Village.

Joel has given two presentations on cohousing to members of Capitol Hill Village that generated substantial interest. Maintains a list of interested purchasers.

Cohousing in DC

Takoma Village DC’s first cohousing community

❖ 43 units❖ 1.43 acres (30 du/ac)❖ Affordable: 70% below 80% AMI❖ US DOE PATH demonstration site❖ Developer: EcoHousing Corp❖ Architect: EDG Architects

Cohousing in DC

Eastern Village Adaptive reuse of a 1950s office building

❖ 56 cohousing units & 11 live/work units

❖ Affordable: 50% at 80% AMI❖ LEED Silver, multiple awards❖ Developer: EcoHousing Corp &

Poretsky Builders❖ Architect: EDG Architects

Eastern Village Sustainable, adaptive Reuse of an existing building

Cohousing in DC

Eastern Village Sustainable, adaptive reuse of an existing building

Cohousing in DC

Initial Design Concepts❖ Reuse existing exterior masonry

skin and concrete frame❖ New stairs and elevator to provide

full accessibility for those with a range of physical abilities

❖ Exterior landscaping/ramping to achieve an accessible main entrance

❖ Sustainable design including green roof & solar panels

❖ Compatibility in design and use with neighborhood context

❖ Space available for community use

Capitol Hill Cohousing

Project Benefits

Aging in place❖ Health benefits of social interaction❖ Having “work” to do keeps people

mentally & physically healthy & active❖ Unusual behavior or absence likely to

be noticed by neighbors❖ Neighbors assist each other❖ Shared resources & maintenance

Project Benefits

Community Function Space

❖ 1,850 square feet of community space on lower level

❖ Use to be determined in collaboration with neighborhood

Project Benefits

Sustainable Development

❖ Adaptive reuse of existing building❖ Energy efficient mechanical,

electrical and plumbing systems and equipment

❖ Solar photovoltaics & hot water❖ Green roof

Project Benefits

Neighborhood Compatibility

❖ Building architecture, massing and scale retained.

❖ Both design and proposed use are compatible with surrounding neighborhood

Project Benefits

Economic Benefit❖ Remove a liability from District’s

real estate portfolio❖ Contribute over $136,000 annually

in new property tax revenue❖ Retain Capitol Hill residents that

would otherwise leave the City

Process

Community OutreachOur team has completed many development projects with multiple stakeholders:

❖ Immediate Neighbors❖ ANC❖ Hill East Task Force❖ Future residents 

Following project award, we will host a community kick-off meeting, hopefully in the building, to introduce our team, walk the building and grounds and share our initial concepts. We expect this to be a highly iterative process with multiple meetings with planning staff, neighbors, civic groups and others.

The need for senior cohousing

Empty-nester boom offers builders a boon“A major trend in the metro area last year was the number of non-family buyers…”

“[Empty nesters and] never nesters…look for a new type of home, typically with less maintenance, the option of one-level living with a first-floor bedroom or rambler-style home on one level, or an apartment-style condominium.”

“A common theme among mature couples and younger people without kids is to live within walking distance to shops and restaurants or public transportation…”

—The Washington Post, January 3, 2015

Changing demographics require planning

The Silver Tsunami

“There are many communities that aren’t doing enough to prepare for the demographic shifts that are underway… Some are barely even aware of them. There are a lot of localities that are not thinking about this yet — to a surprising degree, actually.”

-Amy Levner, AARP Home & Community Program

Local demand for senior housing“I am at a loss for an explanation for why none of the new construction or renovation cannot include residences dedicated to seniors. In addition to the influx of young families, there are many residents who are thinking about moving to one floor units (apartments or condos) to avoid the two or three flights of stairs in their current homes. As everyone knows space for new construction or renovation is at a premium on the Hill and it appears that seniors will have no choice but to leave the Hill despite the fact that they do not want to.”

-A community member comment on the ANC 6A listserv, January 8, 2015

Websites:• www.cohousing.org• www.midatlanticcohousing.org• www.seniorcohousing.com• www.edgarchitects.net• www.ecohousing.net

Literature:• Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing

Ourselves, Kathryn McCamant & Charles Durrett

• The Senior Cohousing Handbook, Charles Durrett• The Cohousing Handbook, Chris Hanson• Collaborative Communities: Cohousing, Central

Living & Other New Forms of Housing, Dorit Fromm

Nearby Completed Cohousing Communities:• Takoma Village, Takoma, DC,

www.takomavillage.org• Eastern Village, Silver Spring, MD,

www.easternvillage.org• Blueberry Hill, Northern Virginia,

www.blueberryhill.org• Liberty Village, Frederick County, Maryland,

www.libertyvillage.com

Completed Senior Cohousing Communities:• Elderspirit, Abingdon, Virginia, elderspirit.net• Glacier Circle, Davis, California • Silver Sage Village, Boulder, Colorado,

silversagevillage.com• Wolf Creek Lodge, Grass Valley, California,

www.wolfcreeklodge.org

Cohousing Resources